Concrete Batching Plants Monitoring Programme Annual Report Technical Report

Transcription

1 Concrete Batching Plants Monitoring Programme Annual Report Technical Report Taranaki Regional Council ISSN: (Online) Private Bag 713 Document: (Word) STRATFORD Document: (Pdf) February 2016

2

3 Executive summary This report for the period July 2014 to June 2015 describes the monitoring programme implemented by the Taranaki Regional Council (the Council) to assess the environmental performance of three concrete batching plants within the Taranaki Region, along with the results and environmental effects of their activities. The three concrete batching plants covered by this programme are located in Waitara, Hawera and Stratford. Allied Concrete Limited (Allied Concrete) operates a concrete batching plant located on Mould Street, Waitara, in the Waitara catchment. The site operation includes the storage and mixing of cement, aggregate, sand, and builders mix. Allied Concrete holds one resource consent, which includes a total of four conditions setting out the requirements that they must satisfy. The consent allows for the discharge of wastewater into an unnamed tributary of the Waitara River. During the year under review, Allied Concrete demonstrated an overall high level of environmental performance. Firth Industries is a division of Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited is hereafter referred to as Firth Industries. They operate a concrete batching plant located on Glover Road, Hawera in the Tangahoe catchment. The site operation involves mixing of cement, aggregate, water and additives in concrete mixing trucks for delivery to end users, and recently it has been used only as a satellite plant. The site also stores aggregate, sand and builders mix for retail. Firth Industries holds one resource consent, which includes a total of seven conditions setting out the requirements that they must satisfy. The consent allows for the discharge of treated wastewater onto and into land and into an unnamed tributary of the Tawhiti Stream. During the year under review, Firth industries demonstrated an overall high level of environmental performance. Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited (Fletcher Concrete) operates a concrete batching plant and pre-cast manufacturing plant on a site just north of Stratford on State Highway 3 in the Kahouri catchment. Activities at the site include the storage and mixing of aggregate, cement, water and additives, as well as the manufacturing of pre-cast drainage soak-hole liners and lids, offal hole lids and troughs. The concrete batching plant is operated by their subsidiary Firth Industries, and the pre-cast facility and sales depot is operated by their subsidiary Humes Pipeline Systems (Humes). Fletcher Concrete holds one resource consent, which includes a total of 13 conditions setting out the requirements that the consent holder must satisfy. The consent allows for the discharge of stormwater and wastewater onto and into land and into an unnamed tributary of the Kahouri Stream. During the year under review, Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited demonstrated an overall high level of environmental performance. The Council s monitoring programme for the July 2014 to June 2015 monitoring period included up to three inspections at each site.

4 For reference, in the year, 75% of consent holders in Taranaki monitored through tailored compliance monitoring programmes achieved a high level of environmental performance and compliance with their consents, while another 22% demonstrated a good level of environmental performance and compliance with their consents. This report includes recommendations for the year.

5 i Table of contents Page 1. Introduction Compliance monitoring programme reports and the Resource Management Act Introduction Structure of this report The Resource Management Act 1991 and monitoring Evaluation of environmental performance Resource consents Water discharge permit summary Air emission summary Monitoring programme Introduction Programme liaison and management Site inspections Investigations, interventions, and incidents 6 2. Allied Concrete Limited Introduction Process description Water discharge permit Results Inspections Results of discharge monitoring Results of receiving environment monitoring Investigations, interventions, and incidents Discussion Discussion of site performance Environmental effects of exercise of consents Evaluation of performance Recommendation from the Annual Report Alterations to monitoring programmes for Recommendation Firth Industries (Division of Fletcher Conrete & Infrastructure Limited) Introduction Process description Water discharge permit Results Inspections Results of discharge monitoring Results of receiving environment monitoring Investigations, interventions, and incidents Discussion Discussion of site performance Environmental effects of exercise of consents Evaluation of performance Recommendation from the Annual Report Alterations to monitoring programmes for

6 ii Optional review Recommendations Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited Introduction Process description Water discharge permit Results Inspections Results of discharge monitoring Results of receiving environment monitoring Investigations, interventions, and incidents Discussion Discussion of site performance Environmental effects of exercise of consents Evaluation of performance Recommendation from the Annual Report Alterations to the monitoring programme for Optional review Recommendations Summary of recommendations 25 Appendix I Resource consents held by Allied Concrete, Firth Industries and Fletcher Concrete

7 iii List of tables Table 1 Summary of the concrete batching plants resource consents 4 Table 2 Summary of performance for Consent held by Allied Concrete 12 Table 3 Summary of performance for Consent held by Firth Industries 16 Table 4 Summary of performance for consent held by Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited 23 List of photos Photo 1 Unidentified Galaxiids found in the tributary at the culvert inlet on the Allied Concrete Waitara site 12 List of Figures Figure 1 Location of Allied Concrete site, Mould Street, Waitara 7 Figure 2 Location of Firth Industries site, Glover Road, Hawera 14 Figure 3 Fletcher Concrete site (Firth Industries and Humes Pipeline Systems), Stratford 20

8

9 Introduction Compliance monitoring programme reports and the Resource Management Act 1991 Introduction This report is the Annual Report for the period July 2014 to June 2015 by the Taranaki Regonal Council (the Council) on the monitoring programme associated with resource consents held by three concrete batching plants in the Taranaki Region, namely Allied Concrete Limited (Allied Concrete) on Mould Street in Waitara, Firth Industries on Glover Road in Hawera, and Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited (Fletcher Concrete) on Mountain Road in Stratford. This report covers the results and findings of the monitoring programme implemented by the Council in respect of the consents held by Allied Concrete, Firth Industries, and Fletcher Concrete that relate to discharges of stormwater and/or wastewater onto and into land and/or into water within the Waitara, Tangahoe, and Patea catchments respectively. One of the intents of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) is that environmental management should be integrated across all media, so that a consent holder's use of water, air and land should be considered from a single comprehensive environmental perspective. Accordingly, the Council generally implements integrated environmental monitoring programmes and reports the results of the programmes jointly. This report discusses the environmental effects of Allied Concrete s, Firth Industries and Fletcher Concrete s use of water, land and air, and is the 10 th combined Annual Report by the Council for these companies Structure of this report Section 1 of this report is a background section. It sets out general information about compliance monitoring under the RMA and the Council s obligations and general approach to monitoring sites through annual programmes, a summary of the resource consents held by Allied Concrete, Firth Industries and Fletcher Concrete in the Waitara, Tangahoe and Patea catchments and the nature of the monitoring programme in place for the period under review. Each of the concrete plants is then discussed in a separate section (Sections 2 to 4). In each of the first subsections (e.g. Section 2.1) there is a general description of the concrete plant, its processes and discharges, an aerial photograph or map, and an outline of the matters covered by the consent holder s water discharge permit. Subsection 2 presents the results of monitoring of the consent holder s activities during the period under review, including scientific and technical data. Subsection 3 discusses the results, their interpretation, and their significance for the environment in the immediate vicinity of the site under consideration. Subsection 4 presents the recommendation(s) to be implemented in the monitoring year at each of the sites.

10 2 Section 5 is a summary of all the recommendations in relation to this programme for the period. A glossary of common abbreviations and scientific terms, and a bibliography, are presented at the end of the report The Resource Management Act 1991 and monitoring The RMA primarily addresses environmental effects, which are defined as positive or adverse, temporary or permanent, past, present or future, or cumulative. Effects may arise in relation to: (a) the neighbourhood or the wider community around a discharger, and may include cultural and socio-economic effects; (b) physical effects on the locality, including landscape, amenity and visual effects; (c) ecosystems, including effects on plants, animals, or habitats, whether aquatic or terrestrial; (d) natural and physical resources having special significance (for example, recreational, cultural, or aesthetic); (e) risks to the neighbourhood or environment. In drafting and reviewing conditions on discharge permits, and in implementing monitoring programmes, the Council is recognising the comprehensive meaning of effects inasmuch as is appropriate for each activity. Monitoring programmes are not only based on existing permit conditions, but also on the obligations of the RMA to assess the effects of the exercise of consents. In accordance with Section 35 of the RMA, the Council undertakes compliance monitoring for consents and rules in regional plans, and maintains an overview of the performance of resource users and consent holders. Compliance monitoring, including both activity and impact monitoring, enables the Council to continually re-evaluate its approach and that of consent holders to resource management and, ultimately, through the refinement of methods and considered responsible resource utilisation, to move closer to achieving sustainable development of the region s resources Evaluation of environmental performance Besides discussing the various details of the performance and extent of compliance by the consent holders during the period under review, this report also assigns a rating as to each consent holder s environmental and administrative performance. Environmental performance is concerned with actual or likely effects on the receiving environment from the activities during the monitoring year. Administrative performance is concerned with the consent holder s approach to demonstrating consent compliance in site operations and management including the timely provision of information to Council (such as contingency plans and water take data) in accordance with consent conditions. Events that were beyond the control of the consent holder and unforeseeable (that is a defence under the provisions of the RMA can be established) may be excluded with regard to the performance rating applied. For example loss of data due to a flood destroying deployed field equipment.

11 3 The categories used by the Council for this monitoring period, and their interpretations, are as follows: Environmental Performance High: No or inconsequential (short-term duration, less than minor in severity) breaches of consent or regional plan parameters resulting from the activity; no adverse effects of significance noted or likely in the receiving environment. The Council did not record any verified unauthorised incidents involving significant environmental impacts and was not obliged to issue any abatement notices or infringement notices in relation to such impacts. Good: Likely or actual adverse effects of activities on the receiving environment were negligible or minor at most. There were some such issues noted during monitoring, from self reports, or in response to unauthorised incident reports, but these items were not critical, and follow-up inspections showed they have been dealt with. These minor issues were resolved positively, co-operatively, and quickly. The Council was not obliged to issue any abatement notices or infringement notices in relation to the minor noncompliant effects; however abatement notices may have been issued to mitigate an identified potential for an environmental effect to occur. For example: - High suspended solid values recorded in discharge samples, however the discharge was to land or to receiving waters that were in high flow at the time; - Strong odour beyond boundary but no residential properties or other recipient nearby. Improvement required: Likely or actual adverse effects of activities on the receiving environment were more than minor, but not substantial. There were some issues noted during monitoring, from self reports, or in response to unauthorised incident reports. Cumulative adverse effects of a persistent minor non-compliant activity could elevate a minor issue to this level. Abatement notices and infringement notices may have been issued in respect of effects. Poor: Likely or actual adverse effects of activities on the receiving environment were significant. There were some items noted during monitoring, from self reports, or in response to unauthorised incident reports. Cumulative adverse effects of a persistent moderate non-compliant activity could elevate an improvement required issue to this level. Typically there were grounds for either a prosecution or an infringement notice in respect of effects. Administrative compliance High: The administrative requirements of the resource consents were met, or any failures to do this had trivial consequences and were addressed promptly and co-operatively. Good: Perhaps some administrative requirements of the resource consents were not met at a particular time, however this was addressed without repeated interventions from the Council staff. Alternatively adequate reason

12 4 was provided for matters such as the no or late provision of information, interpretation of best practical option for avoiding potential effects, etc. Improvement required: Repeated interventions to meet the administrative requirements of the resource consents were made by Council staff. These matters took some time to resolve, or remained unresolved at the end of the period under review. The Council may have issued an abatement notice to attain compliance. Poor: Material failings to meet the administrative requirements of the resource consents. Significant intervention by the Council was required. Typically there were grounds for an infringement notice. For reference, in the year, 75% of consent holders in Taranaki monitored through tailored compliance monitoring programmes achieved a high level of environmental performance and compliance with their consents, while another 22% demonstrated a good level of environmental performance and compliance with their consents Resource consents Water discharge permit summary Section 15(1)(a) of the RMA stipulates that no person may discharge any contaminant into water, unless the activity is expressly allowed for by a resource consent or a rule in a regional plan, or by national regulations. Sections 15(1)(b) and (d) of the RMA stipulate that no person may discharge any contaminant onto land if it may then enter water, or from any industrial or trade premises onto land under any circumstances, unless the activity is expressly allowed for by a resource consent, a rule in a regional plan, or by national regulations. Therefore, each of the consent holders covered under this programme holds one consent to discharge stormwater, and/or wastewater, onto and into land, and/or into water. Table 1 provides a summary that includes the consent holders, the purpose of their resource consent, and their review and expiry dates. Further details on each of the consents are given in Sections 2 to 4, and a full copy of each consent can be found in Appendix I of this report. Table 1 Consent holder Allied Concrete Limited Summary of the concrete batching plants resource consents Abbreviated name Allied Concrete Consent Number Purpose Review Expiry To discharge up to 6 m 3 /day of washwater from a concrete batching plant site into an unnamed tributary of the Waitara River [Renewal application received 26 February 2014] - 1 June 2015

13 5 Firth Industries (Division of Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited) Firth Industries To discharge treated wastewater from a concrete batching plant via settling ponds onto and into land and into an unnamed tributary of the Tawhiti Stream in the Tangahoe catchment June June 2028 Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited Fletcher Concrete To discharge stormwater and wastewater from a concrete product manufacturing and storage site onto and into land June June 2028 and into an unnamed tributary of the Kahouri Stream in the Patea catchment Air emission summary Section 15(1)(c) of the RMA stipulates that no person may discharge any contaminant from any industrial or trade premises into air, unless the activity is expressly allowed for by a resource consent, a rule in a regional plan, or by national regulations. The air emissions from each of the three sites have previously been assessed as a permitted activity as the activities at the sites comply with the requirements of Rule 13 of the Regional Air Quality Plan for Taranaki (RAQP). Although not mandatory, Firth Industries and Fletcher Concrete have chosen to apply for certificates of compliance, which confirm that, at the time the applications were considered, the emissions to air from the sites complied with the RAQP, and that no resource consents were required to cover emissions to air from the sites at that time Monitoring programme Introduction Section 35 of the RMA sets out obligations upon the Council to gather information, monitor, and conduct research on the exercise of resource consents, and the effects arising, within the Taranaki region and report upon these. The Council may therefore make and record measurements of physical and chemical parameters, take samples for analysis, carry out surveys and inspections, conduct investigations, and seek information from consent holders. The monitoring programme for the Allied Concrete, Firth Industries and Fletcher Concrete sites consisted of two primary components Programme liaison and management There is generally a significant investment of time and resources by the Council in: ongoing liaison with the resource consent holder over consent conditions and their interpretation and application; discussion over monitoring requirements; preparation for any reviews; renewals; new consents;

14 6 advice on the Council's environmental management strategies and content of regional plans and; consultation on associated matters Site inspections The annual inspection schedule under this programme is for two site inspections per site. Allied Concrete, Firth Industries and Fletcher Concrete were all visited at least twice during the period under review. One additional inspection was planned for each site during the year, because each site was visited once during the monitoring period. Allied Concrete was inspected three times during the period under review, along with an additional site visit being undertaken in relation to the renewal of their consent. The third planned inspections at the Firth Industries and Fletcher Concrete sites were undertaken on 1 July 2015; the findings of which will be discussed in the report covering the period. With regard to consents for the discharge to water, the main points of interest were plant processes with potential or actual discharges to receiving watercourses, including contaminated stormwater and process wastewaters. Air inspections focused on plant processes with associated actual and potential emission sources and characteristics, including potential odour, dust, noxious or offensive emissions. Sources of data being collected by the consent holder were identified and accessed, so that performance in respect of operation, internal monitoring, and supervision could be reviewed by the Council. The neighbourhood was also surveyed for environmental effects Investigations, interventions, and incidents The monitoring programme for the year was based on what was considered to be an appropriate level of monitoring, review of data, and liaison with the consent holder. During the year matters may arise which require additional activity by the Council for example provision of advice and information, or investigation of potential or actual causes of non-compliance or failure to maintain good practices. A pro-active approach that in the first instance avoids issues occurring is favoured. The Council operates and maintains a register of all complaints or reported and discovered excursions from acceptable limits and practices, including noncompliance with consents, which may damage the environment. The Incident Register (IR) includes events where the Company concerned has itself notified the Council. The register contains details of any investigation and corrective action taken. Complaints may be alleged to be associated with a particular site. If there is potentially an issue of legal liability, the Council must be able to prove by investigation that the identified company is indeed the source of the incident (or that the allegation cannot be proven).

15 Allied Concrete Limited Introduction Process description Allied Concrete operates a concrete batching plant on a site at Mould Street, Waitara in the Waitara catchment. The operation primarily involves the mixing of aggregate, cement, water and additives in a concrete truck mixing bowl, in order to produce concrete, which is then delivered to the end user. Wastewater on the site consists of potentially contaminated stormwater from around the concrete batching plant and aggregate storage areas, and water from washing the concrete trucks. Therefore, the discharges typically contain some cement deposits and other sediments. The wastewater is treated in a four pond settling system, with water recycled from the fourth pond for use in truck washing and in the concrete making process. Sludge from the settling ponds is removed periodically and stored on site to dry. Excess concrete from the returning trucks is also off loaded at the site, where it is then made into large blocks that are sold to farmers and local contractors. Figure 1 Location of Allied Concrete site, Mould Street, Waitara Allied Concrete have recently made a number of improvements to their stormwater and wastewater management system. In the instances when the pond system overflows, a silt trap and a rock lined basin have been installed to further treat the

16 8 discharge. This will optimise treatment efficiency prior to the flow reaching the wetland (referred to as the soakage basin in the Allied Concrete s water management plan). A dish channel has been cut near the main entrance to redirect all stormwater from the front yard into the wetland. A dish drain has also been cut in the rear yard to direct all stormwater from this elevated area into a soakage pond that has been enlarged. During a consent investigation visit, it was discovered that a small area of the site was not integrated into either of the catchments from which the flows are treated prior to discharge. Accordingly, Allied Concrete has advised the Council that no vehicles or chemicals will be stored in this stormwater catchment in order to avoid the potential for contamination in the stormwater discharging from this area. An open tributary runs along the southern perimeter of the site and enters a culvert at the access way between the rear and front yards. To prevent untreated stormwater entering the tributary, a block wall barrier flanked by earth bunding has been constructed around the culvert inlet area Water discharge permit Allied Concrete holds water permit to cover the discharge of up to 6 m 3 /day of washwater from a concrete batching plant site into an unnamed tributary of the Waitara River. This permit was issued by the Council on 14 November 1996 under Section 87(d) of the RMA. It expired on 1 June As an application to renew this consent was received prior to 1 March 2015 (more than three months prior to the expiry of consent ) under Section 124 of the RMA, Allied Concrete can continue to operate under the conditions of the expired consent until a decision is made on the renewal. There are four special conditions attached to this consent. Condition 1 relates to maintenance and operation of the silt control system. Condition 2 designates a mixing zone in the receiving waterbody, and prohibits a range of adverse effects from occurring beyond this specified mixing zone. Condition 3 relates to concentration limits of ph, oil and grease, and suspended solids in the discharge. Condition 4 provided for the review of any or all conditions of the consent. A copy of the permit is attached to this report in Appendix I. During the renewal process, further information was requested regarding the activities, potential contaminants, drainage and treatment systems, and discharge points in relation to: the discharges of contaminants onto land, the discharge of treated and untreated stormwater, treated and untreated wastewater, and their potential environmental effects.

17 9 A stormwater management plan, wastewater management plan, and updated contingency plan were also requested. There was some uncertainty around whether the tributary (that has been planted up as a wetland) at the front of the site, into which some of the discharges flowed, was culverted by the New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) to join the reticulated stormwater system that discharges to an unnamed tributary of the Waitara River, or whether the reticulation upgrade had isolated this stretch of the tributary from the former flow path. A connection between this tributary and the NPDC stormwater system would have a bearing on the nature of discharge consent that would be issued, and the special conditions that would be required to ensure that the environmental effects were no more than minor. Just before the end of the period under review it was confirmed that there was a flow from the tributary (wetland) to the unnamed tributary, in addition to soakage to land Results Inspections 5 August 2014 The load out area was found to be in use at the time of inspection. There was no evidence of untreated water exiting either this or the bunded areas. The truck wash area was found to be well maintained and it was noted that it did not appear to be the source of any untreated discharges. The ponds at the truck wash area were full and discharging a clear, low flow to the wetland. There was some evidence of fines in the wetland due to the recent rain and the pump having broken down. It was noted that the slurry area at the back of the yard was full and allied Concrete was advised that it would need to be emptied soon. The main drain through the yard had been cleaned out and there were no signs of any untreated discharges diverting offsite. Overall, the site appeared to be well managed and well maintained. 19 December 2014 It was found that load out was occurring at the time of the inspection. There was no evidence of untreated water being discharged from the bunded areas, which appeared to be well managed. The settlement pond system appeared to be working effectively, with a clear discharge from the final pond to the wetland. The recirculation pump was yet to be reinstalled, however the inspecting officer was informed that its operation was set to resume after the fines slurry had been removed from the pond. There was no evidence of untreated water exiting the aggregate recovery area, which appeared to be well managed. The tributary alongside the yard was running clear, with no apparent sources of contamination entering it. Overall, the site again looked to be well managed and well maintained. 26 May 2015 The site was visited with the Drainage Reticulation Supervisor from NPDC, as the Council had been advised that works undertaken between the settling pond outlet and the wetland had resulted in the blockage of a pipe. It was found that a swampy area north of the site was piped beneath the adjacent property, with the outlet in the same wetland that Allied Concrete discharge into. The Drainage Reticulation

18 10 Supervisor outlined that the pipe blockage had resulted in water backing up and causing flooding in the neighbouring property. The Council Officer was informed that Allied Concrete would be instructed to reinstate the pipe. Drainage from the wetland was also discussed with Drainage Reticulation Supervisor. It was outlined that NPDC understood that the wetland had not been isolated from the stormwater system. Following this site visit, both the Manager of the Allied Concrete Waitara site and the contracted environmental consultant were contacted and asked to confirm the stormwater discharge path from the wetland with NPDC. It was also asked that the appropriateness of the changes made to the drainage systems at the front of the site be reviewed in the light of the outcomes of this investigation, as it was noted that the end of the wetland likely to contain an outlet was becoming quite silty. Photographs of this were taken. Both parties were also advised that the consent application would need to be amended if it was found that the wetland drained to the nearby tributary via NPDC's reticulated stormwater, as the current application was for a discharge to land only. 30 June 2015 It was found that all wash down water was currently being used (recycled) and that at the time of the inspection the fourth pond was empty. The back of the yard had been cleaned up and nothing was being stored there. New earthworks and plantings had also been carried out on the top yard. Bunding had been constructed around the tributary that runs along side the back half of the yard, preventing contamination from stormwater. However, it was discovered that a section of earth bunding next to where the stream enters the culvert had washed away following a recent storm. A more permanent barrier was recommended, to prevent untreated stormwater from entering the tributary. It was found that a shallow catch drain had been cut across the front entrance. This drained to a small sump that discharged into the downstream end of the wetland, and was designed to catch aggregate or heavier fines. This drain was clean and clear at the time of inspection with nothing appearing to leave the system. The works at the top of the wetland now included a collection area for clean stormwater water runoff from the neighbouring site, which is then allowed to soak away. On site, it was found that the bunded areas were well managed and there was plenty of free board available. Overall, the site was considered to be in a satisfactory condition and the improvements appeared to be working well Results of discharge monitoring No untreated or inadequately treated discharges were discovered entering the receiving environment during the inspections undertaken at the Allied Concrete site during the monitoring period. Therefore, no discharge samples were collected, as it was not deemed necessary to confirm consent compliance. This was achieved by visual assessment.

19 Results of receiving environment monitoring No sampling of the receiving waters was undertaken, as any discharges that were found to be occurring were clear and no indications of adverse effects in receiving waters were discovered. Investigations, interventions, and incidents In the period, the Council was not required to undertake significant additional investigations and interventions, or record incidents, in association with the Allied Concrete s conditions in their resource consent or provisions in Regional Plans. Discussion Discussion of site performance The Allied Concrete site at Waitara was found to be generally well maintained. A number of improvements were made to the site during the period with regards to water management. Specifically, the measures of containment and treatment for the site s stormwater and washwater were improved notably. No air related matters were noted during the period under review Environmental effects of exercise of consents There were no significant environmental effects found that were associated with Allied Concrete s operations. Despite the noticeable deposition of concrete fines on the bed of the tributary at the culvert inlet, unidentified Galaxiid, thought possibly to be Banded Kokopu were found at this location during site visit on 11 March 2015 (Photo 1). The presence of these fish is indicative of the stream s life supporting capacity. Through undertaking additional works to improve the site s water management, Allied Concrete are adopting the best practicable option to prevent or minimise any adverse effects on the receiving environment.

20 12 Photo 1 Unidentified Galaxiids found in the tributary at the culvert inlet on the Allied Concrete Waitara site Evaluation of performance A summary of the Allied Concrete s compliance record for the year under review is set out in Table 2. Table 2 Summary of performance for Consent held by Allied Concrete Purpose: To discharge up to 6 m 3 /day of washwater from a concrete batching plant site into an unnamed tributary of the Waitara River Condition requirement 1. Maintain and operate silt control system 2. Mixing zone and effects of receiving water Means of monitoring during period under review Inspections of site Inspections of site and receiving water Compliance achieved? Yes Yes 3. Concentration limits Visual assessment at inspection Yes 4. Review conditions of consent No further opportunities for review N/A Overall assessment of environmental performance and compliance in respect of this consent High Overall assessment of administrative performance in respect of this consent High During the monitoring year, Allied Concrete demonstrated a high level of both environmental performance and administrative compliance with their resource consent as defined in Section

21 Recommendation from the Annual Report In the Annual Report, it was recommended: 1. THAT monitoring of discharges from Allied Concrete in the year continues at the same level as in This recommendation was implemented Alterations to monitoring programmes for In designing and implementing the monitoring programmes for air and water discharges in the region, the Council has taken into account the extent of information made available by previous authorities, its relevance under the RMA, the obligations of the Act in terms of monitoring emissions and discharges and their effects, and subsequently reporting to the regional community. The Council also takes into account the scope of assessments required at the time of renewal of permits, and the need to maintain a sound understanding of industrial processes within Taranaki emitting to the atmosphere and discharging to the environment. It is proposed that for , the programme remains unchanged. 2.4 Recommendation 1. THAT monitoring of consented activities at the Allied Concrete Waitara site in the year continue at the same level as in

22 Firth Industries (Division of Fletcher Conrete & Infrastructure Limited) Introduction Process description Firth Industries operates concrete batching plant on a site at Glover Road, Hawera in the Tangahoe catchment. The operation primarily involves the mixing of aggregate, cement, water and additives in a concrete truck mixing bowl in order to produce concrete which is then delivered to the end user. Builder s mix and aggregate are also retailed from the site. A concreting operation was established on this site prior to Firth Industries have been operating at the site since the 1980 s. Wastewater on the site consists of stormwater from around the concrete batching plant and aggregate storage areas, as well as water from washing the concrete trucks. Therefore, the wastewater typically contains some cement deposits and other sediments. Wastewater is treated in a three pond settling system, with water recycled from the third pond for truck washing and use in the concrete making process. Sludge from the settling ponds is removed periodically and stored on site to dry. Excess concrete from the returning trucks is also off loaded at the site, and is then made into large blocks that are sold to farmers and local contractors. Figure 2 Location of Firth Industries site, Glover Road, Hawera

23 Water discharge permit Firth Industries holds water permit to discharge treated wastewater from a concrete batching plant via settling ponds onto and into land and into an unnamed tributary of the Tawhiti Stream in the Tangahoe catchment. This permit was issued by the Council on 14 July 2010 under Section 87(d) of the RMA. It is due to expire on 1 June There are 7 special conditions attached to consent Condition 1 requires the consent holder to adopt the best practicable option. Condition 2 states that the discharge must not exceed 2 m³/day. Condition 3 requires all washwater to be directed for treatment prior to discharge. Condition 4 requires the consent holder to maintain the treatment system and ensure retention time is adequate to meet requirements of conditions 5 and 6. Condition 5 states the discharge concentration limits for suspended solids and oil and grease. Condition 6 designates a mixing zone in the receiving waterbody and prohibits a range of adverse effects from occurring beyond this specified mixing zone. Condition 7 provides for the review of any or all conditions of the consent. A copy of the permit is attached to this report in Appendix I Results Inspections 12 August 2014 There was no activity occurring on site at the time of inspection. The yard appeared to be tidy, with all stormwater draining into the containment area. There were no signs of any runoff escaping the yard or load out areas. Only a small amount of water appeared to have drained from the slurry collection area into the main collection area. The collection sump and aggregate traps contained settled stormwater. The bunded containment areas also appeared to be holding uncontaminated stormwater. Overall, although the site appeared to have had little recent use, everything appeared to be well managed and well maintained. 27 November 2014 The site appeared to have had minimal activity since the previous inspection. There was no evidence of runoff escaping the system and all bunding was working well. The settlement pond was dry at the time of the inspection. Overall, the site was well managed and well maintained. The final scheduled inspection for the period under review was undertaken on 1 July The site was found to be compliant with consent conditions, and the inspection findings will be discussed in the report covering the monitoring year.

24 Results of discharge monitoring Inspections undertaken at Firth Industries during the monitoring period did not find any untreated or inadequately treated discharges entering the receiving environment. At the time of inspection the stormwater and washwater was either contained, or the ponds were dry Results of receiving environment monitoring No sampling of the receiving waters was undertaken, as there were no discharges occurring at the times of inspection. Investigations, interventions, and incidents In the period, the Council was not required to undertake significant additional investigations and interventions, or record incidents, in association with the Firth Industries conditions in their resource consent or provisions in Regional Plans. Discussion Discussion of site performance Although the inspections suggested that minimal activity had taken place at this site, Firth Industries in Hawera was well managed and maintained. The settlement ponds appeared to be working effectively and were either found to be empty, or filled with clean stormwater. No air related matters were noted during the period under review Environmental effects of exercise of consents Inspection found that operations at the Firth Industries site did not have a discernible effect on the receiving environment during the monitoring period. Evaluation of performance A summary of Firth Industries compliance record for the year under review is set out in Table 3. Table 3 Summary of performance for Consent held by Firth Industries Purpose: To discharge treated wastewater from a concrete batching plant via settling ponds onto and into land and into an unnamed tributary of the Tawhiti Stream in the Tangahoe catchment. Condition requirement Means of monitoring during period under review Compliance achieved? 1. Best practicable option Inspections of the site and systems Yes 2. Discharge volume limit Inspection of the site Not discharging at the time of inspection Yes

25 17 Purpose: To discharge treated wastewater from a concrete batching plant via settling ponds onto and into land and into an unnamed tributary of the Tawhiti Stream in the Tangahoe catchment. Condition requirement 3. Washwater to be directed for treatment prior to discharge Means of monitoring during period under review Inspections of the site Compliance achieved? Yes 4. Maintain silt and sediment system Inspections of site and records Yes 5. Concentration limits Sampling No samples taken as no discharge was occurring during inspection N/A 6. Mixing zone effects Inspections of site and receiving water Yes 7. Optional review of conditions Next optional review date June 2016 N/A Overall assessment of environmental performance and compliance in respect of this consent High Overall assessment of administrative performance in respect of this consent High During the monitoring year, Firth Industries demonstrated a high level of both environmental performance and administrative compliance with their resource consent as defined in Section Recommendation from the Annual Report In the Annual Report, it was recommended: 1. THAT monitoring of discharges from Firth Industries in the year continues at the same level as in This recommendation was implemented Alterations to monitoring programmes for In designing and implementing the monitoring programmes for air and water discharges in the region, the Council has taken into account the extent of information made available by previous authorities, its relevance under the RMA, the obligations of the Act in terms of monitoring emissions and discharges and their effects, and subsequently reporting to the regional community. The Council also takes into account the scope of assessments required at the time of renewal of permits, and the need to maintain a sound understanding of industrial processes within Taranaki emitting to the atmosphere and discharging to the environment. It is proposed that for , the programme remains unchanged Optional review Resource consent provides for an optional review of the consent in June Condition 7 allows the Council to review the conditions of the consent, for the purpose of ensuring that the conditions are adequate to deal with any adverse effects on the environment arising from the exercise of this resource consent, which were

26 18 either not foreseen at the time the application was considered or which it was not appropriate to deal with at the time. Based on the results of monitoring in the year under review, and in previous years as set out in earlier annual compliance monitoring reports, it is considered that there are no grounds that require a review to be pursued. 3.4 Recommendations 1. THAT monitoring of discharges from Firth Industries in the year continues at the same level as in THAT the option for a review of resource consent in June 2016, as set out in condition 7 of the consent, not be exercised on the grounds that the current level of monitoring is adequate to deal with any potential adverse effects.

27 Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited Introduction Process description Fletcher Concrete operates a concrete batching plant and pre-cast manufacturing plant, including storage and retail of concrete products, on a site just north of Stratford on State Highway 3 (Mountain Road). The site is run by two divisions of Fletcher Concrete, namely Firth Industries and Humes Pipeline Systems (Humes). This concrete batching site, operated under a consent held by Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure Limited, was added to the Concrete Batching Plants Monitoring Programme on 1 July Prior to this, the site was part of the Kahouri Catchment Monitoring Programme, and was amalgamated into the Concrete Batching Plant programme when it was considered that catchment scale monitoring was no longer required for the Kahouri catchment. The concrete batching plant operation primarily involves the mixing of aggregate, cement, water and additives in a concrete truck mixing bowl in order to produce concrete, which is then delivered to the end user. The Humes operation involves the manufacturing of pre-cast drainage soak-holes and lids, offal hole lids and troughs. Humes was also a sales depot for items manufactured both on and off the site. The business has operated on the site since A tributary of the Kahouri Stream runs under the plant site. Washwater from the plant is treated by settlement in two small ponds, followed by soakage in two stonefilled pits. Concrete truck washings are treated separately by settlement in two small ponds in series, followed by two soakage ponds. Washwater may be re-circulated from the fourth pond to increase residence time for settling. Discharges to the stream tributary can occur from both soakage systems. During the monitoring period the third settling pond was relocated adjacent to the other two ponds. The area around the ponds was fully fenced, and the intention was to start recycling the water from the ponds, once the pond had self sealed and soakage to ground from the new pond had stopped. Sludge from the settling ponds is removed periodically and stored on site to dry. Excess concrete from the returning trucks is also off loaded at the site. Local farmers take the dry material for use as fill material and to maintain driveways. Stormwater from yard areas and the roof of the main building currently soaks to ground, or drains through soak holes or grit interceptors before discharging to the unnamed tributary of the Kahouri Stream. Fletcher Concrete & Infrastructure proposes to upgrade the existing stormwater and wastewater management system, as follows: Additional wastewater from the Humes pre-cast pipe manufacturing plant is to be directed to the concrete batching plant wastewater pond and settling system; The provision for recycling of truck wash, batching plant and pipe manufacturing wastewater, including two new wastewater holding tanks with the combined capacity of 45,000 litres; and

28 20 Two new sludge drying bins and a concrete mould area were to be developed. These were to be fully contained, with wastewater being directed to the truck wash out wastewater settling area. Figure 3 Fletcher Concrete site (Firth Industries and Humes Pipeline Systems), Stratford Water discharge permit Fletcher Concrete holds discharge permit to discharge stormwater and wastewater from a concrete product and manufacturing storage site onto and into land and into an unnamed tributary of the Kahouri Stream in the Patea catchment. This permit was issued by the Council on 7 May 2009 under Section 87(d) of the RMA. It is due to expire on 1 June There are 13 special conditions attached to this consent. Condition 1 requires the consent holder to adopt the best practicable option. Condition 2 limits the maximum stormwater catchment area. Condition 3 states that the discharge of wastewater shall not exceed 5 m 3 /day. Condition 4 requires that the stormwater and wastewater system be as shown in plans submitted in support of the consent application. Condition 5 requires bunding of all above ground hazardous substance storage areas.